Effects of poly (sodium 4-styrene-sulfonate) on morphology of calcium carbonate particles

In this paper, a systematic examination of the influence of various experimental parameters on the morphology and size of CaCO3 particles at room temperature in the presence of poly (sodium 4-styrene-sulfonate) (PSSS) is presented. The as-prepared products were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry (DSC-TG) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the CaCO3 concentration, the pH of the solution, the average molecular weight of polymer PSSS, and surfactant additives, turned out to be important parameters for the control of morphologies of CaCO3. In particular, the monodispersed and bidispersed spherical CaCO3 particles can be easily obtained depending on the experimental conditions. This research may provide new insight into the facile preparation of monodispersed spherical CaCO3 particles and the synthesis of other novel inorganic materials. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.